Kurdish music group members detained after playing for concert organized by HDP

Two members of the Kurdish music group Hevra have been detained after playing for a concert organized by the HDP Youth Council in the western province of Kocaeli on Jan. 22, HDP lawmaker Gergerlioğlu announced.

Monday January 23 2023 09:06 pm

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Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu has announced that two members of the Kurdish music group Hevra were detained for singing in Kurdish.

Tagging the Justice Ministry in his tweet, Gergerlioğlu said: “After the concert organized by the HDP Youth Council yesterday in Kocaeli’s Darıca, the artists named Gencay Morkoç and Yusuf Keleş were detained. Detention still for this reason in the 21st century? Release them!"

@gruphevra yı serbest bırakın!
— Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu (@gergerliogluof) January 23, 2023

Hevra also took the issue to Twitter, slamming the “arbitrary” detentions. “We hereby call on the rulership which cannot stand even one Kurdish song and tell them that oppressions can’t discourage us.”

bugün Kocaeli de katıldığımız sersal etkinliğinde Hevra üyelerimiz Yusuf ve Gencay arkadaşlarımız keyfi bir şekilde gözaltına alındılar
Bir Kürtçe şarkıya bile tahümülü olmayan iktidara buradan bir kez daha diyoruz ki baskılar bizi yıldıramaz #arkadaşlarımızıderhalserbestbırakın pic.twitter.com/7iRR1Q2zmq
— Hevra (@gruphevra) January 22, 2023